In those weeks leading up to Thanksgiving 2012, no one could have predicted how the first #GivingTuesday would fundamentally change the fundraising landscape, offering an opportunity for people all over the world to come together for the greater good. Focused on collaboration and community, the day was an instant success, and continues to provide valuable lessons on how to engage donors and prospective donors year-round...
According to our research, 88% of publicly traded companies had Environmental Social Governance (ESG) programs in 2022. Initiatives related to sustainability are becoming undeniably important—but what happens when key stakeholders aren’t on board? Some executives are wary of implementing ESG programs or setting lofty goals, for reasons such as fearing negative backlash or being seen as “political”...
Bolder questions and answers. Better cross-functional collaboration. Broader audiences. These demands on the Market and Competitive Intelligence (M&CI) professional’s time have created pressure to evolve—and in some cases fundamentally change—the processes, content sets, tools and technology they use to deliver insights to their team. However, if you don't know where to start or what...
Regulators increasingly require corporate and financial services firms to incorporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks into their due diligence and reputational risk management processes. The year of 2023 alone has seen massive increases in corporate responsibility in this area; for example, the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) requires companies with 250...
One of the major themes in compliance in recent years has been the rise of Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) legislation in Europe and the US. Now, this trend appears to be expanding into the Asia-Pacific region after a recent initiative by the Japanese government. In this blog, we look at the latest developments in HRDD and ESG assessments and explain how companies can expand their due diligence program to capture these...
Market and competitive intelligence (M&CI) can feel like a corporate superpower when done correctly. That’s because, with proper research and analytics, companies can essentially predict the future. What is going to happen in your industry over the next one, five, ten years? What businesses are headed for bankruptcy, and which are gearing up to take their spots? It’s all in the data. If you haven’t...
Trust may not appear in a company’s financial accounts, but trust has been called “the most powerful currency in business.” Customers, investors, employees and suppliers all want to work with companies that they consider to be trustworthy. As a result, the future is bleak for those companies who fail to take steps to build trust and transparency. Trends suggest that trust has become more important...
The 2022 rules from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) allowed student athletes to benefit financially from their name, image, and likeness—known as “NIL” —for the first time. US collegiate sport was already a “$14 billion industry”, according to a recent Financial Times headline. This change made it so students who excel at football, baseball, basketball, tennis...
Many companies have deficiencies in their sanctions risk management and customer due diligence processes, according to a survey by the UK’s financial regulator. The EU has also published new expectations about companies’ third party due diligence for risks related to sanctions, particularly for companies operating in Russia and Belarus. In this blog, we look at these latest developments in global sanctions...
The EU’s proposed new Directive would mandate large companies in the EU or doing business there to implement strict new due diligence obligations. The regulation is now close to being finalized, which would start the clock ticking for individual countries to change their laws. We analyze what companies should expect from the Directive, as well as the wider trend towards global human rights due diligence regulations...
Many people get started in nonprofits because they are very passionate about the cause. This means that the work is incredibly meaningful and can be very fulfilling. However, with funding and staffing limitations, the nonstop list of tasks, and passion for the cause, the sector sees a high rate of employee burn out. And of course, that issue becomes even larger during stressful periods like “Giving Season.”...
While environmental social governance (ESG) initiatives are increasingly becoming standard corporate practice, some organizations are still hesitant to invest the time and capital required to pursue a comprehensive program. In fact, sometimes securing internal buy-in can be the most challenging part of the process. Convincing key decision makers of the value of ESG can seem daunting. To help you overcome these internal...
Numbers are a great asset to any piece of communication because they lend validity to your claims. By their nature, numbers and data are straightforward. One is always one; two is always two. One plus two is always three. Right? Well… that depends. As with the written or spoken word, data can be interpreted differently by different people. Without context, insight, proper analysis and/or deconstruction into what...
Market and Competitive Intelligence (M&CI) are pivotal to business strategy. Knowing what other companies are up to—whether that means investigating their wins or avoiding their losses—is the best way to remain at the top of any industry. With a constantly evolving world, it’s more important than ever to use M&CI. While businesses have implemented M&CI data into their strategies for ages...
Social media statistics are one of the most underrated areas of insight when it comes to marketing and public relations. Because this medium is one of the easiest ways to interact with fan bases, it holds countless pieces of information that can be used across a business to help understand audiences. When it comes to public relations for sports teams, social media is extra helpful. Tracking fan sentiment, user-generated...
Media monitoring is the key to seeing the clearest picture of how your company is functioning. Yet, it can feel like a monumental task to manage all the available information, while also making sure your data is current, comprehensive, and correct. The more you can discover about which data is most integral for your company to thrive, the more you can refine your needs, filter out unimportant data, and create a long-term...
All modern-day businesses interface with metadata, whether they know it or not. Any time a company engages with digital information, they have engaged with metadata. But, what exactly is metadata? And, wouldn’t it be more useful if you could readily identify it, understand its specific strengths and then use it to its greatest extent in your media monitoring? From internal documents to public social media content...
In the quest to achieve unrivaled business growth, organizations show increasing interest in Decision Intelligence (DI) . Whether you use DI to augment, recommend, or automate decisions, the effectiveness of your DI endeavors heavily depends on the quality of data that powers it. As financial services and global businesses alike expand the use of DI, weeding out poor quality—within both internal and alternative...
In today’s fast-paced world, the ability to make highly informed decisions in a timely manner can be the difference between the success or failure of your business. Particularly during times of uncertainty or market volatility, doubt can hold organizations back. And data overload can contribute to this doubt. So how do businesses ensure they do not fall behind the competition or consumer values? Increasingly,...
With today’s 24/7, digital connectedness, keeping up with your company’s media exposure is an ever-evolving challenge. It can be impossible to track every traditional news mention as sources proliferate—not to mention keeping up with public sentiment on social media. Then, when you need show results from your efforts, it’s difficult to know where to start. Zeroing in on the right data, not just...
It’s a fact of doing business that your organization will face communications crises--no matter the size, type, or mission of your organization. From natural disasters to public opinion on social media, there are factors that you simply cannot control or even fully anticipate. And, while we’d all like to think we react appropriately and quickly when fielding these moments, the only way to ensure it is to...
No institution wants to be embroiled in a scandal—especially when it could have been prevented. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to Tufts University when it was revealed that when one of their long-standing donors, the Sackler family, was tied to the opioid crisis. Over a period of nearly 40 years, the university received around $15 million from the Sacklers, who own the pharmaceutical company Purdue...
Companies operating in today’s global business environment must navigate ever-strengthening anti-bribery and corruption regulations. Some of the most significant recent enforcement actions against companies arose from alleged due diligence failures, leading to fines, legal action, strategic risks and reputational damage. Meanwhile, there are growing expectations around companies’ understanding of their Environmental...
Organizations like nonprofits and academic institutions that rely on donations need to be hyper aware of the importance of due diligence. Screening current and potential donors for political and financial vetting is a crucial step in any donor-funded company, but even the most extensive checks can sometimes have pitfalls. If a team accepts money from an organization or individual that ultimately backfires and garners...
We are already more than halfway through 2023, so if your business isn’t up to date on all the newest trends and shortcuts in the realm of risk mitigation and compliance, suffice it to say you’re falling behind. This year, there is an even greater push on ESG compliance, protection from rising technology like AI and Crypto, and the general need for due diligence to avoid working with sanctioned third parties...